How could i tidy this up

[ronan]

This is the motor junction box off the bridgeport milling head i have. The chocolate block connectors do not look very professional or safe. I can buy a new junction box specifically for bridgeports, but they are daft money, around the £100 mark.

Any idea how i can neaten this up without spending a fortune ?

 

[Ruffian]

They do a nice style of toolless push in joiner connections that are really nice,
May be worth looking into them to replace the chocoleate block

 

[WorkshopChris]

Wago 222 Series is the way to go.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wago-222...hash=item4af755db2e:m:m1QOIi8vOPtMzyKXEwKasZA
(Above is just the first link i found- price may be better elsewhere)

 

[anto44]

Not sure about the connectors but seen these boxes on ebay, not sure if it's any use to you. Could look the part painted the same colour as the machine.
https://m.ebay.ie/itm/Silver-Alumin...hash=item2cc900a664:m:mU5LVIIxK4UWNNBR2IQ-7-Q

 

[brightspark]

there's only 5 connectors in bits put a complete set in and screw it back up the top your being to fussy use these if your feeling flush and want it to look professional din rail conectors https://www.google.co.uk/search?ei=...0....0...1..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.EBdB4wh_tB4

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Not sure about the connectors but seen these boxes on ebay, not sure if it's any use to you. Could look the part painted the same colour as the machine.
https://m.ebay.ie/itm/Silver-Alumin...hash=item2cc900a664:m:mU5LVIIxK4UWNNBR2IQ-7-Q

Have a use for these. Make a good remote box for my vfd.
Cheers

 

[ronan]

Its not so much the box itself, as the chocolate box connector chucked loosely into it.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Its not so much the box itself, as the chocolate box connector chucked loosely into it.

Just screw the lid back on.
Nothing unsafe there contained.

Screw the blocks down if it makes you feel better.

 

[brightspark]

or here https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/connectors/terminal-blocks-din-rail-terminals/barrier-strips/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0aK86Yy42wIVbpPtCh2AJQ96EAAYASAAEgLJd_D_BwE&cm_mmc=UK-PPC-DS3A-_-google-_-8_UK_EN_G_Connectors_Exact_DDA_AlwaysON_LocationA-_-Barrier_Strips-_-barrier strip connector&matchtype=e&gclsrc=aw.ds cheaper

 

[ronan]

Right, next question what size cable for the 2hp motor being run of a vfd (so no huge current in-rush at start-up) ? I'll need to buy the armoured type as it has to be run on the outside of the machine.

 

[Hopefuldave]

Have a use for these. Make a good remote box for my vfd.
Cheers

I used one for my VFD controls ( "ET's little brother"), also fitted a nice vintage Admiralty-pattern meter to read motor current (so I can be sure I'm really working the lathe) and a digital tacho as otherwise I won't have a clue, and I've just built a remote current control for the new-to-me TIG in one of those, pair of nice vintage-looking chicken-head knobs to make them easy to grip through gloves, will be bolting a pair of hard disc magnets to the back so I can park it where I like on the "welding bench" or stick it to the work if I need...

Those boxes are good stuff, lots get rescued form the World's Best Skip, I find

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Hopefuldave]

Right, next question what size cable for the 2hp motor being run of a vfd (so no huge current in-rush at start-up) ? I'll need to buy the armoured type as it has to be run on the outside of the machine.

2HP on 240v won't need much, SY 2.5mm should be plenty as you'll only be hitting a peak of perhaps 10A - TLC electrical do it by the metre if you can get to one.

Earth the motor through one of the cores (so you'll want 4x2.5 Syflex or similar) and only earth the armour/shield braid at the VFD for best interference suppression, especially if you like the Test Matches on AM radio!

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[brightspark]

probs 1.5mm if its 3 core and earth 15 amp

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I used one for my VFD controls ( "ET's little brother"), also fitted a nice vintage Admiralty-pattern meter to read motor current (so I can be sure I'm really working the lathe) and a digital tacho as otherwise I won't have a clue, and I've just built a remote current control for the new-to-me TIG in one of those, pair of nice vintage-looking chicken-head knobs to make them easy to grip through gloves, will be bolting a pair of hard disc magnets to the back so I can park it where I like on the "welding bench" or stick it to the work if I need...

Those boxes are good stuff, lots get rescued form the World's Best Skip, I find

Dave H. (the other one)

Any reason i couldnt slap a magnet on the back of the box?
vfd will be controlling lathe and mill motors (identical motors) dont want to make two remotes so thinking about a mag box i can slap on whichever machine im using. Tacho would be nice too.

Sorry for the thread derail.

 

[Hopefuldave]

Cant see a reason why not - mine's on a bracket, and might be affected as there are relays and the meter inside, but if you're not doing anything electromagnetic with relays, analogue meters etc. inside, go for it!

The tacho I used is actually an EvilBay frequency counter board connected to a pea-sized gear-tooth sensor picking up the teeth on the threads/feeds gear at the back of the spindle, if it were a 60-tooth it would read directly in RPM straight out of the box, but Holbrook decided a 70-tooth was required to have consistent gear Diametral Pitches - I had to unsolder the counter's crystal and replace with one 7/6ths the frequency (actually reasonably close to, I think there's about +3% error) to get it to read correctly...
There are tacho kits complete with sensor and magnet that take a pulse-per-rev, but they're a bit slower to update, EvilBay's full of 'em and all that's needed with 'em is a 12v wall-wart or similar, or a feed picked off the control transformer (if you have one) and rectified/smoothed/regulated.

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[ronan]

Sorry for the thread derail.

Tip on, i don't mind.

 

[Hopefuldave]

probs 1.5mm if its 3 core and earth 15 amp

I dunno, I'd go with 2.5 - if the wiring reg's are anything to go by, the close proximity of other conductors requires a bit of derating for thermal reasons - and the price difference is pretty trivial if you're only buying a few metres?

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Hopefuldave]

Ronan, how much cable do you need? I have some short lengths of 4x2.5 SY cable, leftovers from my lathe and mill wiring, but it might cost more to post than your local electrical factors will sell it to you?

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[ronan]

Thanks Dave, but i think i know where i can get some free, i just needed to know the size.

 

[Richard.]

I don’t see anything in there that is a particular eye sore. Those choccy blocks do a decent enough job of terminating cables I’ve not known them to be particularly unsafe when contained inside a box like that.
If the glands are doing a good job of keeping the cables secured tightly then that connector in there will never move in there.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and admit I prefer the screw type choccy blocks to those push in snap type ones. I have broken loads of those little orange fingers when been too rough with them and you never have control over the actual pressure they apply to the core. You can’t beat a good old fashioned screw driver to let you know it’s tight.